Chizuru Sarashina

" I will wear a boy's school uniform to school if I feel like it. Tomorrow, I may wear punk street clothes to school if I want to. Chi does what Chi wants do to . . . . Bye, Bye, Bicycle !!! '

---Chizuru Sarashina

Although it is never categorically stated that Chi is a transgender person, she, nevertheless, exhibits many gender non-conforming traits and actions. Chi is probably a Gender Fluid ( changing back and forth between male and female attributes ), or Gender Queer ( operating outside the gender boundaries of a typical teen female) individual, who 'marches to the beat of a different drummer', and does not follow the social, emotional, and personality traits of a typical teenage girl. However, she is included in the transgender section of this wikia, due to her non-normative, non-binary gender expressions and traits that place her under the vast umbrella term of transgender.

( Because Chi was born perceived as a female, and may not, at this time, be a person who wishes to transition genders, Chi will be referred to with female, or non-binary pronouns. )

Chizuru Sarashina

Chi does things her way, regardless of what other people think, say, or do

Voice Actor

Saeko Chiba

Appearance

Chizuru is tall, taller than most of the girls in school, and taller than many of the boys. She has a slender body build, with slender arms and incredibly long, slender legs. She has an oval face with a pointed chin. She has big eyes, but they are oval and slightly tilted, with a dark brown color. High eyebrows gives her an inquisitive look to her face. Her hair is dark gray, with medium gray highlights, worn in thin twin tails. She has a medium bust, but looks smaller because of her height.

Chi's fashion style is hard to pin down. She wears just about anything of both genders. At school, she wears the female school uniform only part of the time, wearing the male school uniform at other times, and sometimes wearing punk street clothes to school. Teachers may complain, but Chi merely ignores them. For PE swim class, all of the other students wear the female swimsuit, a plain blue tank swim suit. But not Chi ! Chi wears a very revealing white string bikini, much to the displeasure of the adult swim instructor, but much to the admiration of the other girls, and of the few boys that can sneak a peek at the pool. Chi is may times very loud and vocal with her comments and opinions, which in a way adds to her eclectic appearance.

Personality

Chizuru, nicknamed Chi-chan, is a tall girl who first appears as a classmate of Shuichi when they both enter junior high school. She is Momoko's childhood friend, and has a stylish masculine demeanor, highlighted by her tall stature and long hair, which captivates both Shuichi and Yoshino when they first meet her. Chizuru is described as a free spirit, someone who enjoys doing unconventional things for a girl, often outrageous things which surprise those around her. An outspoken and eccentric character, she is shown to have enough confidence to wear a boy's school uniform, or unapproved punk street clothes, whenever she feels like it to school, despite being scolded for doing so by the teachers. During a combined boys and girls swim class, Chi is the only female swimmer not wearing the official school girl's tank swim suit, instead Chi comes to swim class wearing a very revealing white bikini.

Chi wears a white bikini swimsuit, instead of the official school girl's swimsuit, to PE class !

Chi states that she just enjoys being herself and that other opinions are not important to her when making her decisions. However, she frequently acts without thinking, and as a result sometimes projects a childish personality. Her impulsive behavior sometimes gets her in trouble with other school students, but she quickly becomes ashamed when she finally realizes the consequences of her actions, and tries to make good for her impulsiveness. Even if a lot of her actions do bring odd looks, she continues to do whatever she feels like doing, much to the disappointment of her friend Momoko Shirai. She tries to be everyone's friend, though Saori strongly dislikes such impulsiveness that is so typical of Chi. Chi joins the girls' basketball team in junior high. Her family runs a soba restaurant.

Story

Chizuru is introduced in the first episode as a classmate of Nitori Shuichi, Yoshino Takatsuki, Saori Chiba, Momoko Shirai, Kanako Sasa, and Makoto Ariga. She is outspoken and has no qualms about wearing a boy's school uniform, even though she is a girl. She later states that she does not care of other opinions and is willing to fight those who question or give her a hard time for her oddness.

After Shuichi came to school dressed as a girl, wearing a girl's sailor suit school uniform, Shuichi quit attending school for a while. On the day that Shucihi returns to school, Chi walks, hand-in-hand with Shuichi, as well as deflecting the rumors and criticisms that were invariability thrown towards Shuichi. Chi goes so far at to take another student 'down a few notches' for the unkind remarks made about Shuichi.

Throughout the series Chi is shown to be good friends with the group and especially with Saori Chiba, because of her loyalty, to the point of saying good things about a normally sour Saori. When Shuichi comes to her for advice on dressing as a typical teenage girl, she is unable to decisively give Shuichi an answer on whether dressing as a girl is wrong or right, and mentions that, in the end, one should do what is best for oneself and dress as one wants.